Deuteronomy 31:6

http://www.singingthroughtherain.net/2011/11/deployment-idea-2-scripture-verses-free-printables.html

What About the Dads?

It has been SO great connecting with other moms over the last few months!  I am very grateful for each opportunity to hang out with other moms and get out of the house.

This next week there is an opportunity for the MEN of WFA to get together and hang out.

Thursday, August 2 the men are meeting at Bethesda Park (560 Dunbar Ave, Waukesha) from 6-8 pm for food, Bocce ball, Ladder ball, fun, and fellowship.  

They need to sign up in the atrium and bring a side dish or dessert along.

In case of rain, they will meet in the cafe at WFA.

Let's support and encourage our men to connect with each other and have a fun night out!

My Life As a Mom of a Teenager

Today I want to introduce you to my friend, Deb, as our guest blogger. Deb is an outstanding 3rd grade teacher and mom. She is raising a teenager and is still alive to tell us about it. ;)

*********************************************** 

My Life As a Mom of a Teenager

by Deb

FOOTPRINTS OF THE HEART

When I close my eyes, I can still feel the gentle weight of my newborn son, wrapped in a white fuzzy blanket and nestled in my protective arms. How I loved to hold him close and smell his baby soft skin, rocking back and forth, back and forth. I think I will forever remember the wonder I felt as I looked at his tiny hands and feet. I recall stooping over again and again to pick up the doll-sized socks that kept slipping off his little feet, proof of just how small he was. The fierce sense of love that I felt was overwhelming, my joy undeniable. 

Fast forward fourteen and a half years, those little feet have ballooned into man-sized feet, complete with hairy toes and a stench that'll make even the brave gag! That sweet baby smell and those gurgling coos are replaced with Axe cologne spray and a deep voice that complains and argues over whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher or take the garbage out. Gone is the obedient little boy who would willingly go to bed after a bedtime story and a good night snuggle. In that little boy's place is a defense lawyer in the making, ready at every turn to give a logical argument as to why he should be able to stay up as long as he likes or why a C- in Spanish class is really no big deal. 

Just as I was amazed by all the simple abundance in my life all those years ago, so too am I amazed by all the change! The old cliché of time slipping by couldn't be truer. As desperately as I cling to those precious memories, hoping time will stand still, my son determinedly strives forward eager to get his driver's license and first job.

I often shake my head and rub my eyes certain that I will be back in that rocking chair, only to discover that I gave in to that bone weary exhaustion. But no, try as I may, the dirty socks and well worn tennis shoes littering my doorway are real. 

I know that in the not-so-distant future, I will even miss those socks and shoes that I trip over each day. I may complain about the sassy attitude, the sloppy job he did of cleaning up the once-tidy bathroom, or of how he drinks milk not by the glass but by the gallon, and yet I wouldn't trade any of it because this season of motherhood is just as priceless as any other- maybe not so sweet smelling, but precious nonetheless!

Savor each moment and try not to stand in the way as that little baby takes a step forth, making a lasting footprint for all to admire.

*********************************************

Thank you for sharing, Deb! You even make it sound not so bad to have a teenager. :)


~ If you would like to share your story of motherhood with us, please let me know. We'd love to hear it! ~

Get The Word Out

Are you looking for an easy way to invite your friends to a Nurture event?

There is a line at the bottom of each post with special little buttons just for you to use!

*The first button is an "email this button" where you can email that post to someone. 


*The next button is a "blog this" button.  If you have a blog, you can add that post as a post on your own blog.

*The third button is a "share to twitter" button, so you can tweet the link to that post. (BTW Nurture is on twitter: @NurtureAtWFA :)  


*The last button is a "share to facebook" button where you can share that post on your facebook page.

Just click on the button(s) of your choice and Get The Word Out. 

I like to meet new mom friends, how about you?

Wednesday's Devotional

It's A Girl!

By Megan Breedlove -http://www.MannaForMoms.com

When I became pregnant with my first child, I couldn’t wait for THE ultrasound—the one that would tell me if my baby was a boy or a girl. It seemed like forever before I lay on the exam table, my belly exposed, and the technician squirted some gel on it (which they must have been keeping in the refrigerator, because it was cold). She began spreading the gel around with the ultrasound sensor, taking various pictures and measurements as she first made sure my baby was healthy and growing normally.

Then, she paused. “Okay,” she said, “now let’s see if we can find out whether this baby is a boy or a girl.”  Please, God, I prayed. Show us.

But Baby kept sticking a foot in the way. Finally, the tech said she thought she knew, but she wanted to get a second opinion from another tech because she hadn’t been able to get an entirely clear view. The second tech agreed with her. “Do you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?” the first tech asked.

“Oh, yes,” we answered.

“It’s a girl,” she said. We were thrilled.

Over the course of the next five months, I made preparations for the arrival of our precious new daughter. I decorated the nursery in beautiful pastel butterflies and flowers. I stored up tiny pink clothes in her dresser and closet. I bought her toys.

But the anticipation of Ellie’s arrival was nothing compared to what I felt upon seeing her for the first time. “It’s a girl!” the doctor announced, and I cried with happiness. When I held her, all neatly swaddled, and looked into her tiny, perfect face, my joy grew even deeper. I could hardly believe such a beautiful, complete little person was mine.

My husband and I were beyond proud. We called everyone we knew so they could celebrate with us. We wanted the world to know about our beloved daughter, Ellie. It’s a girl!

You know the same joy if you were blessed with a beautiful experience for the arrival of your first child (whether by birth or adoption). You know how it feels to rejoice at God’s marvelous gift to you, far beyond what you ever thought you were capable of. You’ve probably thought, as I have, about how the angels in heaven, and God Himself, rejoiced with you when your baby was born.

But have you ever realized that God rejoiced the same way when you were born?

It’s easy to imagine all heaven rejoicing over the birth of our children. It’s harder to imagine that same level of celebration when we were born. But it’s true. The Bible clearly and emphatically states that God rejoices over us with singing. When did that begin?

When you and I took our first breath, heaven rejoiced. When we cried our first cry, the morning stars sang together. When our mother held us for the first time, the angels shouted for joy. It’s a girl!

And God Himself took us in His arms and whirled around with us, laughing and singing with joy. I have a daughter!

What’s absolutely, incredibly amazing is that He still feels the same way about us today. Yes, He knows we’ve sinned, and will sin again in the future. But His delight in us isn’t based upon our actions, but upon the fact that He created us. We are magnificent examples of His handiwork, and that will never change. He may be less than pleased with some of our actions, but He delights in us.

And just as we wanted everyone around us to rejoice with us in the arrival of our child, God wants everyone around us to rejoice in the fact that we are here. We are far more precious to Him even than our children are to us. When we feel pleasure in our children, or delight, what we feel is only a shadow of what God feels not only for them, but for us.

The next time you find yourself delighting in your child, remember that God delights even more in you. The next time you say, marveling, “That’s my child!” remember that God is even more proud of you. She’s mine, He says, pointing you out to His Son and Spirit and all the angels. That’s my girl!

His words are the echoes of what He said when you were born. When the time came for your arrival, He was the ultimate proud Father waiting to announce you to the world. He couldn’t wait for you to be born so you could begin your life under His watchful care, and one day, grow to love Him. And when you left your mother’s body and entered this life, He rejoiced with all the joy Almighty God is capable of—and maybe even with tears of happiness in His eyes.

Look! He shouted joyfully. It’s a girl!

Job 38:4-7—"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”

Zephaniah 3:17—He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Little Blessings Reminder

Just a reminder ~

Little Blessings is meeting this Thursday, July 26 at 7:00 pm in room C at WFA.

If you are pregnant or a mom of a baby under a year, please join us for a fun night of connecting with other moms in this same exciting stage!  Babies are welcome to come with their moms.

Invite your friends and neighbors!  We had a great time last month and I'm looking forward to another night of fun on Thursday!

If you have questions, please see Jamie Halquist, Amy Prebil, or Jessi Brome.  You can also email us at nurturewfa@hotmail.com.

Let us know if you are coming so we can be prepared to welcome you!  

We are so excited to share in your journey of motherhood with this new baby!!

Playdate Rescheduled

Due to the record high temps they are predicting for tomorrow, we are rescheduling our playdate to Imagination Station to Friday, July 27 at 10:00 am.


Hope to see you Friday!


Stay Cool!!

1 Peter 4:10

source - http://www.coffeeandtheirkisses.com/2012/05/faithful-friday-printable.html

July Playdate Reminder

Just a reminder ~

Our July playdate will be on Monday, July 23 at 10:00 am.   

We will be meeting at Imagination Station park in Oconomowoc. Imagination Station is a universally accessible playground.  

 

You can find Imagination Station in Roosevelt Park,101 E. Forest Street, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin 53066.  Roosevelt Park is located along the Lake Country Bike Trail. 

(http://www.accessibleplayground.net/) 

Snacks will be provided. 

Please feel free to invite friends, neighbors, and relatives who may be interested in joining in the fun.

We hope you can join us for a fun time of play with our kids!

*For your added safety, please park in the spaces on the left closest to the playground.

**Our next playdate is Friday, August 17.  The playdate calendar dates will always be on the left sidebar so you can plan ahead.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Last Saturday, we had our first Coffee Break and it was so much fun!  (For photos and a recap, click here.)  We had so many yummy treats that were donated.  Thank you to everyone who brought a treat!

I made a Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake and thought I would share the recipe. Enjoy!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:
8oz Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
18oz Pkg Yellow Butter Cake Mix
4 Eggs
3oz Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
2 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Fresh Blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325. Lightly spray bundt pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine cream cheese and oil, beat with mixer at high speed until smooth.
3. Add cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat at medium speed until well mixed.
4. Fold in blueberries & spoon batter into pan.
5. Bake 70-80 minutes (check with a toothpick)
6. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes then remove from pan.

Recipe courtesy of: Stephanie Sliwinski

**If you have a favorite recipe you would like to share on the Nurture blog, please email me nurturewfa(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Speed Friending

"Sing To The Lord" Coloring Sheet

http://karladornacher.typepad.com/karlas_korner/2010/06/free-oh-sing-coloring-page.html

Psalm 118:24

source http://www.theflourishingabode.com/freebies/bible-art-printables

Family Canoe Trip

The annual Wisconsin River family canoe trip is Saturday, August 4.  

The cost is $40 per canoe, and includes all gear and a grill out at the end of the trip.  If you bring your own canoe, the cost is only $15.  

This is a laid-back trip with lots of swimming, eating, and fellowship.  

Please sign up in the atrium at WFA or contact Tim or Melissa Zabel before July 26th at 262.966.0138.

My Life As a Mom With PCOS

Today I am happy to introduce, Aimee, as our guest blogger. Aimee is part of our Nurture team and helps with organizing and planning our playdates. She is a wonderful mom to a sweet son.  Here is her story:

**************************************************

My Life As a Mom With PCOS

by Aimee

My husband and I struggled for about four years trying to get pregnant.  At first, it wasn’t a big deal but as time passed, I couldn’t understand why.  I kept thinking “is there something wrong with me?”  I would frequently have irregular periods which sometimes would last for up to two weeks.  I never really knew if I was ovulating and as time went on I was getting really frustrated.  After three years of trying to have a baby I finally found out that I have a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS.)  In talking with my doctor, I had come to find out that some of the symptoms of PCOS are irregular periods, weight gain and, sadly, infertility.

Once we discovered that I had PCOS I couldn’t help thinking to myself that if maybe I had found out sooner, we could possibly have had a baby by now.  At the time, it was really hard for me to see all of my friends having kids, and it hit me especially hard when my sister-in-law gave birth to my niece.  I hate to admit, but I was jealous because I felt everyone was having a baby but me.  I just knew that someday we would have a child and it would all be in God’s timing.  I really had to trust Him because He knew when we were supposed to have a child.

Getting back to infertility; upon the discovery of my PCOS, my OB referred me to a fertility specialist.  My husband and I met with him and he shared with me me some things I needed to do that would help us have a child.  For starters, he told me that I needed to walk two miles a day to help me lose some of the weight I had gained from the PCOS.  Additionally, I was put on a drug called Metformine which is actually a drug used for diabetes, but is also known to help with infertility caused by PCOS.  I began to do all the things my fertility doctor had told me to do, walking two miles a day, working on losing weight, and taking the medication.  After eight months, however, it seemed like the new regimen was not helping.   As time went on and I kept not getting pregnant, it was the opinion of my fertility specialist that our next steps would likely need to be some more drastic treatment, like IVF.   At this point, after some frustration, my husband and I decided I should take some time off from taking the medicine.  We wanted to spend some time praying for God’s plan.  About a month and a half later, I got pregnant!

Finally getting pregnant was a miracle from God.  He is the only one who knows when the time is right. Somehow, Russell knew I was pregnant before I even knew for sure.  I was so excited when I found out (shocker, I know.)  It was a Friday and I had just gotten home from work and decided to take a pregnancy test.  My father-in-law was at our house replacing the sink in our bathroom, so I had to take a test after he left to get some parts at the store.  As soon as I saw the positive result of the test, I texted Russell.  He was in a meeting giving a presentation, read the text and told his boss “sorry but I’ve gotta go!”  He showed his boss the text, gave him a high five and left.  When Russell got home, we went to get my blood drawn and we received the positive news the following morning.  As soon as we knew it was a positive blood draw we went straight to tell our parents.  It was really hard not to tell our friends right away, but I wanted to wait until we saw the Dr.

After a few weeks, we finally got to go to the doctor and see our little baby’s heartbeat.  What a miracle our baby was, and I don’t know what my life would be like today if he was not here.  A few months later, we found out this child growing inside me was a boy, and we were both overjoyed. 

The only part of the story that is missing is how we came upon the name Cullen Matthew.  Cullen means “handsome” and Matthew means “gift from God.”  He truly is our handsome little gift from God!  Cullen means more to me than anything in the world and I thank God every single day for the life he has entrusted me with.

I hope this will give hope to those who have may have similar trouble with infertility.  Always remember, if you put your faith and trust in God ANYTHING can happen.  I am glad that I can share my story with you!

************************************************

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Aimee! We are so glad God blessed you with little Cullen Matthew!

Sun And Sand Coloring Sheet

From time to time, we will be featuring some fun coloring sheets and crafts to keep your little ones busy when they are in need of a quiet activity. 


Click on the link under the picture to take you to a printable version of it.


Happy Coloring!

http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/sun-and-sand-coloring-page/

Are You Coming?

Just a reminder ~

What mom couldn't use a break from time to time?  

Join us for a relaxing Saturday morning Coffee Break!

Specialty coffee drinks will be available for purchase while you snack on delicious morning treats provided by  Nurture  and connect with moms in every stage of motherhood. 

We will be having our first Coffee Break 

THIS Saturday, July 14 from 9:30 - 11:30 am 

in the Higher Grounds cafe at Waukesha First Assembly.

We will have a barista to make the specialty coffee drinks from 9:30 - 10:00 am only.  House coffee will be available all morning.

ALL moms are welcome.  This is a mom-only event; no childcare will be provided.


Invite your friends to join you for a Coffee Break!


Hope to see you there!

Isaiah 40:31

created by Stephanie Sliwinski

Fancy That Design House & Co

Summer Salads

Looking to get out of the house and join your WFA family for some summer fun?

Join us for Summer Salads on Friday, July 20 at 6:30 pm!

We will meet in the Cafe and have food, fellowship, and a short devotion time. 

We will provide the brats, hot dogs, and drinks.  

Please bring a dish to pass and sign up in the atrium at WFA.  

If you would like to bring your kids' ride toys, we will mark off part of the parking lot for the kids to play.

July Playdate

Our July playdate will be on Monday, July 23 at 10:00 am.   

We will be meeting at Imagination Station park in Oconomowoc. Imagination Station is a universally accessible playground.  

You can find Imagination Station in Roosevelt Park,101 E. Forest Street, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin 53066.  Roosevelt Park is located along the Lake Country Bike Trail. 

(http://www.accessibleplayground.net/) 

   " ... a universally accessible playground means that children of all abilities can play at their appropriate developmental level.  It is a playground where every child is challenged.  Therefore, it is not a playground only for children in wheelchairs, where ramps rule the playground, it is a playground where children with autism have opportunities for sensory experiences, typically developing children can use their imagination to create play scenarios, and where children with developmental delays can learn in incremental steps how to climb. 

Imagination Station does this: 

*There are double wide ramps that lead you up to the very top of the playground.  There are activities to do along the way so it isn’t a “ramp to no where”. 
*The surfacing is pour-in-place rubber surfacing that makes it easier  for a wheelchair to move around on, but also provides safety for children who are not steady on their feet. 
*There is a fence around the playground with only one entrance/exit, so that “runners” cannot get past mom. 



*There is band shell reminiscent of the band shell in town, where children can create play or sing a song.  There are percussion instruments to accompany the players. 
*There are adapted swings, typical swings and toddler swings. 
*The monkey bar area has multiple height bars as well as a variety of challenges.  A child in a wheelchair can lift up their arms and pull themselves across, while other children are doing flips on the bars. 
*In addition to the swings, there are plenty of other areas for children to experience vestibular motion (e.g. going around in circles, going up and down, or going back & forth.) 



*In addition the monkey bars there are plenty of opportunities for children to use their proprioceptive sensory system.  There is a huge rope climber that is fun for the little ones as well as for teenagers.  There is also a small climbing wall. 
*There are two different types of slides. 



*many areas for imaginary play with trains, boats, the clock tower, and beautiful streetscapes. 




*There are places to climb underneath the playground for children who need a little time to themselves 

Snacks will be provided. 

If you would like to help by bringing a package of snacks (goldfish, animal crackers, graham crackers, etc), please leave a comment on this post or email me at nurturewfa(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Please feel free to invite friends, neighbors, and relatives who may be interested in joining in the fun.

We hope you can join us for a fun time of play with our kids!

*For your added safety, please park in the spaces on the left closest to the playground.

**Our next playdate is Friday, August 17.  The playdate calendar dates will always be on the left sidebar so you can plan ahead.

4th of July Celebrations

In case you are looking for some fun things to do tomorrow, here are some options:

July 4 Parade in Downtown Waukesha

July 4, 2012, 11:00 am

Cutler Park, 321 Wisconsin Ave, Waukesha, WI | Get Directions » 

The America the Beautiful parade begins at 11 a.m. leaving from Cutler Park. The parade will begin at the corner of Maple and Wisconsin Ave., travel west on Wisconsin Ave., turn right at West Ave., follow Main St. east, turn left on Buckley, then right on Baxter, finishing at the Schuetze Recreation Center, 1120 Baxter St. in Frame Park.

**A group from WFA is meeting in front of Allo Chocolate to watch the parade together.

Waukesha Fireworks Show

July 4, 2012, 7:15 pm

Waukesha County Expo, 1000 Northview Rd, Waukesha, WI |Get Directions » 

FREE

Bring your blankets and chairs and celebrate with the City of Waukesha’s 4th of July activities with the annual Fireworks Show at the Waukesha County Expo.

The grounds will open at 7:15 p.m. with the show beginning at approximately 9:30 p.m.

The show promises to be unique and of exceptional quality. It will consist of some high aerials along with low level effects.The show will be best viewed from the Waukesha County Fairgrounds.

Carry-in of alcoholic beverages or fireworks will not be allowed.

**Come celebrate Independence Day with your WFA family. The fairgrounds open at 7:15 p.m., and we would love to play games, hang out, and watch the fireworks together. Please bring lawn chairs, blankets, and snacks to share.

Other area celebrations:

Bayside: Bayside's parade begins at Bayside Midde School at 9 a.m., ending at Ellsworth Park with an ice cream social and Bayside's Best Dog Competition. More on the Bayside celebration. There will be no fireworks display in Bayside.

Brookfield (city): The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Gebhardt Road near Brookfield Central High School, turns north on Calhoun Road, west on North Avenue, south on Norhardt Drive, ending at Civic Drive. From 6 to 9 p.m. Family Fest will be held at Mitchell Park, with the band Our House, Heads Up Juggling and magician Glen Gerard. Also on tap: games, food and fireworks at about 9:15 p.m. More details

Brookfield (town): The parade starts at 9 a.m. at Elmbrook Church and runs east along Davidson Road and then south on Linden Lane, ending at Marx Park, 700 S. Barker Road. The parade is followed by activities for children.

Cudahy: Cudahy's fireworks will be at 4800 S. Lake Drive. The parade will start at noon on Lake Drive, and it will run from Grange to Armour Avenue. More on Cudahy's celebrations.

Fox Point: Fox Point festivities include the annual parade, which starts at the Fox Point Police Station. The annual softball game will also take place, featuring village residents against the Fox Point Police. Kids will have an opportunity to jump around in a bounce house, play with clowns, and get their faces painted. More on the Fox Point celebration. There will be no fireworks in Fox Point.

Greenfield: Greenfield will celebrate the holiday with daylong event at Konkel Park from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. That event will include live music, activities for all ages, plenty of food vendors and fireworks at dusk. The parade will begin at 12:15 p.m. and will feature former Green Bay Packers lineman Mark Tauscher as the honorary grand marshal and appearances by the UW Marching Band and Bucky Badger.

Greendale: Greendale's daylong celebration will kick off at 9 a.m. with Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence at Village Hall. The reading will be followed by the parade, including a separate children's parade.  The fireworks display will start at 9:15 p.m. The American Legion and Greendale Lions Club will be selling a number of food items July 2 through July 4. Click here for the complete schedule of Greendale's celebrations.

Muskego (JULY 3): The July 3 Muskego celebration will begin at 1 p.m. at Idle Isle Park, W182S6666 Hardtke Drive, opening with activities like a bungee run and rock climbing. A ski show will be held at 7:30 p.m., and fireworks (with a musical background) will begin around 9:15 p.m. More on the Muskego celebration.

Oak Creek: A parade starts at 9 a.m. at the corner of Groveland Drive and Shepard Avenue, and ends at the American Legion Post. The Legion Post will be the site of a daylong celebration featuring live music, food and more. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m. at East Middle School. More on Oak Creek's celebrations.

Hales Corners:  A "Community Bash" includes a children's parade, classic and antique car show, a pie contest and open houses throughout the village. Events are held at different locations, and fireworks will begin at dusk at Hales Corners Park, 5765 New Berlin Road. More on the Hales Corners celebration.

Menomonee Falls (JULY 3): The parade begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Appleton and Elm streets, ending at Menomonee Falls High School. Fireworks shot form the MFHS football field begin at dusk.More on the Menomonee Falls celebration.

Mount Pleasant-Sturtevant (JULY 3): Sturtevant's Fireworks Festival begins at 4 p.m. July 3 at Firemen's Park, off of Charles Street between 90th and Wisconsin streets. Admission is free, parking on the grounds is $5 and carry-ins are discouraged. The day is filled with family-friendly activities, culminating in fireworks at dusk. More on the Sturtevant celebration.

Pewaukee: The 4 p.m. parade starts at Pewaukee High School and proceeds to Village Park along West Wisconsin Avenue along the beach. Enjoy food on the lakefront starting at 1 p.m. at 213 W. Wisconsin Ave., with a 6:45 p.m. ski show and fireworks at dusk. More on the Pewaukee celebration.

Port Washington: A downtown parade begins at 11 a.m., followed by a picnic in Veteran's Memorial Park Park. At the park, after the parade, there will be a ceremony to recognize the armed forces, a bike decorating contest, a watermelon seed spitting contest and a children's play area with a bounce house and live music. The lakefront fireworks display will be shot at dusk near Grand Avenue and Franklin Street. More on the Port Washington celebration.

Racine: The 8:30 a.m. pre-parade starts at the intersections of Goold and Main Streets and runs south down Main Street through Downtown then turns west on 14th Street. The parade starts at 9 a.m. and travels the same route. This is an extremely popular parade, leave early to get a good seat. Fireworks can be viewed anywhere along the shores of Lake Michigan starting at dusk. More on Racine Fourth Fest celebration.

Saukville: The Saukville parade starts at 1 p.m. starts at Rebel Road and South Main Street. After the parade, there will be activities at Grady Park, and food and beverages as well as music will be available in the park until 5 p.m. Everything moves to Peninsula Park at 6 p.m. with more food and beverages as well as live music until fireworks at dusk. More on the Saukville celebration.

Shorewood: The 3:30 p.m. Shorewood parade kicks off at Oakland Avenue and Kensington Boulevard, ending at River Park, followed by free ice cream from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the park. Live entertainment in Atwater Park leading up to the fireworks at dusk will be provided by the Shorewood Concert Band and the Tweed Funk Band. More on the Shorewood celebration.

South Milwaukee: Fourth of July celebrations at Grant Park, 100 E. Hawthorne Ave., include a decorated bike parade, races and games for kids and free ice cream and caramel corn for children. Their fireworks display is set to begin around 9:30 p.m. More on the South Milwaukee celebration.

Sussex: The Fourth of July celebration in Sussex begins at 6 p.m. at Sussex Village Park with live entertainment from Rabid Aardvarks, a top 40s cover band. Fireworks will begin at dusk. More on the Sussex celebration.

Whitefish Bay: The 11:30 a.m. parade will step off at Silver Spirng Drive and Kent Avenue, finishing at Klode Park. Activities at the park include kids games, live entertainment and plenty of food vendors. Fireworks are at dusk. More on the Whitefish Bay celebration.

- source http://waukesha.patch.com/articles/waukesha-fourth-of-july-celebration-set